WCF 18.2 WSC 99

2a. This certainty is not based on the fallible hope of guesswork or probabilities(bullet# 1). Rather, it is the infallible assurance of faith(bullet# 2),(1)

1 - fallible(failing) hope of guesswork or probabilities: last week we spoke about false faiths of salvation(universalism/salvation by works). These due to complete ignorance.

Here is talking still about a lack of understanding of God’s Word and His faithfulness in keeping His promise.

Fallible hope based solely one’s mind—one’s speculations, rational deductions, or experience.

What does scripture have to say about this? Proverbs 28:26 “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

This can still happen to Christians that have been enlightened and already once tasted the goodness of God’s Word.

Hebrews 5-6 warns about uncertainties that cloud Christians due to dullness, hardened by sin, not resting in Christ, lazy and lacking in diligence to hold onto God’s promises. In a word, a sluggard.

The the call instead is to have… NEXT

2 - infallible(unfailing/perfect/never wrong) assurance of faith:

WCF is not saying that we become infallible as saints, or that our assurance comes from our own performance or anything in us.

Yet infallible assurance of faith is attainable, not as some lofty goal only reserved for the most elite of God’s elect. Hebrews 6:11 “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,”… (which by the way, earnestness, talking about love shown for God’s name by serving one another”

This is because your faith & perseverance does not come from yourself but is a gift of God (Eph 2:8).

So WCF lists these 3 principles by which such assurance of faith is established… NEXT

2b. established on the divine truth of the promises of salvation.(2)

divine truth(unchanging word of God): cannot be “discovered” by any amount of human intellect or reason or the 5 senses alone.

Not saying they are irrelevant, they are necessary, but certainly not the source of truth. Divine truth must be revealed to us by a divine source, who is God. It does not need human approval to be true…

so in regards to...NEXT

promises of salvation: He has revealed this to us through His (unchanging Word), which we perceive with our minds and our senses.

When God "spoke” a promise to Abraham, that all nations shall be blessed through his offspring (who we know to be Jesus Christ) Abraham “listened” and “believed”, anchored on the fact that God swore by His own name (Gen22:15-18)—not based on anyone else’s condition. And God does not lie (Hebrews 6:18).

This promise has been preserved by God’s divine unchanging Word containing God’s total message to man, of whom Jesus Christ completely embodied, for salvation to undeserving people.

And we believe this because… NEXT

2c. There is also the inner evidence of spiritual insight, given to us by God(bullet# 1), to which these promises are directed.(3)

1 - spiritual insight, given to us by God:

The gift of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to “send” to dwell inside a regenerate person who listens to God’s word and repents and believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah(savior) (Acts 2:38)… this is what it means when WCF says... NEXT

2 - to which these promises are directed:

The promise is salvation is plainly made known by the Holy Spirit who truly remains “forever” in a believer to continually enable understanding of God’s Word. Strengthening faith to live out faith based on once God says something, it is settled and sure—cannot be altered. (2 Peter 1:4–5) “by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,” … NEXT

And the Holy Spirit is effective at pointing us to the Word of God to believe and trust in God’s promise, and by this assurance, driven to manifest the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit to keep them from being unfruitful and ineffective while continuing to grow in the knowledge of Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8) / 1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” (to love another genuinely in selflessness)… NEXT

2d. And there is the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God.(4)

1 - Spirit of adoption: Comes straight from Romans 8:15 “...by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Do you know who else called God “Abba! Father!”, which in Aramaic represents most familiar and intimate, reverent relationship with a Father? Jesus on Mt Gethsemane (Mark 14:36)

If we don’t have the Holy Spirit in us, we have absolutely no right to call God our Father!

… because He testifies Christ. And if we don’t have Christ as our mediator, then we remain estranged enemies of God.

Yet if the Holy Spirit is indwelling, He testifies of your new status in Christ through the Word, as His most precious children who can approach the Father, no longer barred by the law, but as heirs with Christ unto eternal life, sharing in His inheritance… NEXT

2e. This Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance. By him we are sealed(bullet# 1) until the day of redemption(bullet# 2).(5)

1 - Comes from Ephesians 1:13–14… “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

Whereby through believing in the gospel of the Word of God that you are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Seal in ancient world indicated ownership and protection. So the indwelling Holy Spirit is the seal that we truly belong to God.

Until when?… NEXT

2 - day of redemption: or the Day of Judgement. God’s people will be kept and guarded until that day as fellow heirs with Christ when our physical bodies are fully redeemed and glorified through Jesus Christ.

1. Hebrews 6:11–12 “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” ,Hebrews 6:19 “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,”

2. Hebrews 6:17–18 “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” , 2 Peter 1:4–5 “by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,”

3. 2 Peter 1:4–5 “by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,” ,2 Peter 1:10–11 “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” , 1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” , 1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” , 2 Corinthians 1:12 “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.”

4. Romans 8:15–16 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

5. Ephesians 1:13–14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” , Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” , 2 Corinthians 1:21–22 “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Q 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?

a. The whole Word of God(bullet# 2) is of use to direct us in prayer(bullet# 1);(1)

1 - What is prayer? It is how we pour our hearts to God with faith in the name of Christ according to His will.

Well. How can we know His will if we don’t hear or read His Word? As Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

And Proverbs 28:9 “If one turns away his ear from hearing(obeying) the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”

Therefore… NEXT

2 - whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer:

Scripture teaches us about the truth of God’s character and is God’s total message to mankind. If we don’t understand our relationship to God based on scripture, how can we understand how to pray to God?

Therefore, 2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”… NEXT

b. but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer.(2)

We’re so sinful that without instructions, we only know to pray for God to accomplish our will, instead of His will and purpose, as if He were our servant! And that is not how you pray. And remember the Holy Spirit testifies and reveals what you hear and read in the Word of God.

And Jesus’ disciples asked Him how to pray because they didn’t know how to pray rightly being part of a 400 year culture of religiosity where religious leaders were demonstrating ingenuine prayers with many words and hearts set on receiving praise from others.

So Jesus provides a restored pattern of prayer, similar to how King David prayed (1 Ch 29:10-18).

It acknowledges God’s character as worthy of worship, it seeks His kingdom and will, trust God’s provisions with petitions, confession, submission to God

This prayer directs us to daily trust God and to love and forgive one another.

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”

2. Matthew 6:9–13 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Kingdom of God: God, rule in the hearts of Your people, that Your church may reflect Your heavenly kingdom.